Lokhandwala goes to the grills

With an extensive Italian menu and a wine list that runs into nine pages, a new fine dining eatery is pulling out all the stops to rope in the hip folk of Lokhandwalau00a0

Ratnagiri, the good ole' drinking dive in the busy Lokhandwala market, has metamorphosed into a plush fine dining restaurant where dinners are candle-lit and tones are hushed. The drastic change doesn't seem to have registered among some patrons who visited the previous haunt.



On a Wednesday night, we saw a group saunter in to Bianco Bar & Kitchen expecting the usual male bonding over rum and whiskey, only to be confronted with much younger, polished sets of twos at the circular tables. Nevertheless, the new avatar has something for every tippler.

Apart from the usual spirits, there are punches by the pitcher, cocktails starting at Rs 209, and a wine list that runs into nine pages on the menu. Indian, Italian, French, Chilean, Australian, dessert wine or wine cocktails... take your pick.

Owner Vishal Parekh's wife Keya who designed the interiors, probably had the fairer sex in mind. The walls are virginal whiteu00a0-- Bianco is Italian for "white"u00a0-- the cushy upholstery and detailing arecolour coordinated blue-green right down to the soft bound menus. A candle and bottle of wine stand atop every table indoors. The lighting is warm, the music a soft murmur, and adornments subtle in the form of mosaic and figurines reminiscent of Gustav Klimt's The Kiss. The more functional al fresco has a soothing wall fountain. Great for people watchingwith coffee.

The menu has a mix of grills, sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, risotto and biryanis; we think the grill section will bring in the foodies. The new grill menu for winter, for instance, includes Grilled Vegetables with Mediterranean Couscous and Spiced Yoghurt Curry, Onion Crusted Salmon with a Mustard Chilli Mash and Grilled Mixed Vegetables and Port Mayo. From it, we opted for the Roast Leg of Lamb with Saffron Rice (Rs 349).

Steep though the price was, the lamb sauce scored high on taste. Our tall glass of Orange Ace (Rs 99)u00a0-- orange juice and ginger aleu00a0-- was refreshing and the bitter Mai Tai was tropic strong. Spice is nice, and the spicy Chilli Apricot Prawns (Rs 279) were twice as nice compared to the boring Chilli Prawns dished out at pricey Bandra eateries.

Penne pasta with tomato salsa, cream and pasta (Rs 229) had a heartmelting sauce but the Bell Pepper Roulades (Rs 149) were less than satisfying. Dessert was Lemon Cheesecake with a drizzle of Ginger Glucose (Rs 135). It tasted of softness and bliss.

At: Greenfield CHS, 333 Swami Samarth Nagar, opposite HDFC Bank, Lokhandwala, Andheri (W). Call: 26364403 / 66711026